Martial Artist of the Month: Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis may very well be the best and most influential martial arts fighter of the 20th century. With a physique chiseled out of stone and some of the very best technque in the sport, Joe Lewis was a formidable opponent for anyone. As a fighter, even the best (Chuck Norris and Bill Wallace included) were afraid to face him in the ring. As an instructor, even the best ravel miles seeking his instruction. As a man, who I have had the privilege to speak to, he is an artist, a philosopher, a comedian, a scientist, and most of all, an inspiration. Today, he is Martial Artist of the Month.

Biography:

Growing up in South Carolina during the 1940s and 1950s, Joe Lewis came from a rough neighborhood. Lewis was brought up on a farm, leaning early on about hard work, which was something he would outshine other martial artists on for over half a century. Taking up an interest in bodybuilding and power lifting, Lewis began training in secret to avoid his father's dissaproval, lifting weights at night after completeing chores on the farm. Joining the Marines in 1962, Lewis was deployed to Vietnam where he worked in communictions. After being transfered from Vietnam to Okinawa, against Lewis' whishes and request for another tour of duty in Vietnam (yes, you read that correctly), he began studying karate under renowned instructors Ezio Shimabuku, John Korab (who Lewis credits as the man who taught him how to spar), and Kinjo Kinsoku. Lewis earned his first black belt in seven months. Most instructors consider two years to be excellent progress. After returning to America, Lewis entered his first tournament, Jhoon Rhee's U.S Nationals, with only twenty-two months of karate training and won the grand championship in both kata and sparring divisions. He scored every point with his trademark sidekick (an irony considering Lewis' self proffessed love of inside fighting). After racking up victories over Chuck Norris, Skipper Mullins, Alan Steen and a plethora of other martial arts greats, and setting numerous records, including another three consecutive wins at the U.S Nationals, Lewis was recognized as the most intimidating fighter in sport Karate. During this time, Joe Lewis began studying Jeet Kune Do with Bruce Lee, who would remain his cheif instructor for the next two-and-a-half years. It was in 1970 that Lewis made the breakthrough in modern martial arts history by introducing Full Contact Karate or "Kickboxing", as it would become known. It was America's first sanctioned full contact martial arts event. Winning the original Heavyweight Championship and defending his tittle ten times, Lewis retired until the PKA World Championship in Full Contact Karate in 1973, in which he again won the world title in the Heavyweight devision. It should also be noted that Lewis was the key figure responsible for convincing Bill Wallace to join the sport that year (Wallace won and held the tittle until his retirement in 1980). Retiring in the late 1970s, Lewis embarked on a short film career, starring in the thriller "Jaguar Lives!" as well as co-starring with fellow martial arts legends Benny Urquidez, Richard Norton, and Bong Soo Han in "Force Five". Lewis was not done, however. He launched the martial arts seminar market, becoming, along with Bill Wallace, perhaps the most successful seminar instructor. Today, Lewis continues to teach his cutting edge seminars and has his own martial arts curriculum, the JLFS.

Why So Great?

How does one answer this question in light of the fact that Joe Lewis has done it all, done it first, and done it best? I guess you pick out the reasons that stand out among the rest.

(1) He pioneered full contact. You hve to understnd that before 1970, martial arts competitions were point matches and in most tournaments, contact was not allowed. Although Lewis fought in and won his fair share of these competitions, he was never satisfied that martial artists who proclaimed to be fighters were satisfied by these games of tag. Even tournaments such as Alan Steens' competitions in Texas, which allowed heavy contact, still used the point fighting system and separated fighters after each point was scored. The idea of wearing boxing gloves, adding contact, and fighting continuously through the round was simple, Lewis was the only one who promoted the idea. Perhaps no one wanted to find themselves under these rules looking across the ring at Joe Lewis. Eventually Joe Lewis made a deal with George Bruckner to compete in an East vs. West point tournament if Bruckner would help Lewis establish his new sport. Lewis cleaned house at the point tournament and Bruckner held up his end of the bargain, promoting the first full contact martial arts event in America: Joe Lewis vs. Greg Baines. Lewis won by knockout and the fight footge is still available today (Lewis has even recorded an audio commentary that is available with the footage on his video "What Bruce Lee Taught Me"). I don't think it can be argued otherwise that the UFC and other similar events would not exist the way they do today had it not been for Joe Lewis.

(2) He worked harder than anyone. Take a look at Joe Lewis without his shirt on and it's hard to find proffessional athletes in any sport with his level of fitness and dedication. Lewis was a country raised farm boy (that means hard work to you city boys), Marine, power lifter, long distance runner, wrestler, World Karate Champion, boxer (Lewis studied with Joe Orbillo and is the only martial artist to be featured on the cover of Ring Magazne), and world Kickboxing Champion. He was always in phenominal shape and could out perform and out last even the best of competition. Comparing his ripped physique to your own would be demoralizing in the ring. Joe Lewis wore those open top, short sleeved gis for reason, you know. Even Bruce Lee was enamored at Lewis' defined physique and would frequently ask him detailed questions on how he acquired it.

(3) He was willing to engage with complete and total conviction. This is a rare and important quality in combat sports. When most people punch, kick, or shoot for the takedown, they execute with a lack of conviction, meaning they don't put their very heart, soul, and intended purpose behind the movement. Remember that scene in Enter The Dragon where Bruce Lee says "I sais emotional content"? That's what he was talking about and Joe Lewis had it in spades. It is of course partly due to Bruce Lee's instruction that Lewis developed this defining quality. Whether you are watching Lewis in his old fight footage or as he teaches a seminar today, he moves with a level of mental assuredness and confidence that is hard to find.

(4) Lewis has perfectly broken down the fight game into understandable principles. Lewis understands that it's not the techniques that win fights but what you put behind them and what you put "between" them. What this means is that the techniques themselves are not as important as the principles applied to make them work. Lewis has defined what he refers to as "Universal Combat Principles". These are combat principles that transend style and form. It doesn't matter if you are a karate man or a wrestler, you need to control your opponent's set point, control the distance, dictate the pace, control ring generalship, etc. How many of us try to counter when we should fire first or forget to step in when we execute? What do you do if your favorite technique fails to work for you? Could you set it up another way? These are the fighting principles that Joe Lewis has so successfully defined and made understandable to practitioners of any style. What he has done in the way of martial arts instructional knowlege is unmatched.

(5) Joe Lewis puts the fans first. Attend a martial arts expo, hall of honors, or similar ceremony and you are likely to find Joe Lewis coming by your table to visit. He understands that without people to embrace the martial arts and support it, you work for nothing. After all, who do martial artists fight for if not for the fans? Joe Lewis is as down to earth as a man can be and although he was the greatest martial arts fighter of his time (or in my opinion and in the opinion of many others, all time) and is now one of the leading instructors in his field, he has no ego. Joe Lewis even allowed me to interview him for this blog and that, brother, tells you everything you need to know about a man who has conquered the world, and in the process, a plethora of unlucky opponents, when it comes to putting the fans first!

Overall:

In the end, not enough can be said of the many accomplishments of Joe Lewis. He is "The Greatest Karate Fighter of all Time" as chosen by his peers, the Father of Ameican Kickboxing, and many more unrivaled tittles. But, to keep our definitions simple, as I believe Joe Lewis would, I'll stick to my favorite name for him: "CHAMPION".